Comedy Books

When I lived in Rochester MN in the early '90s I discovered "Bulletin Board" and became an avid reader. The short tales of everyday people and their everyday experiences have made me laugh, cry and ponder; the real meaning of life really is in the day to day interactions we all have with each other and with our families. This book is a great collection of some of the best stories on BB. I loved it!

Don't even think of reading this book while your partner is sleeping beside you in bed. You're sure to wake them with uncontrollable giggles. This is a perfect book for taking on a trip, the beach, or anywhere else you want to kick back and enjoy the true fumbles and foibles of fellow humans. A thoroughly enjoyable read, easily finished in one sitting, or savored one anecdote at a time whenever you need a lift. Don't miss it. Buy several copies and give as gifts to everyone that likes to laugh (or needs to).

Or rather, you can give an Athenian wings but he won't become a gentle agrarian bird rather, he'll rouse the citizenship, attack the Gods, and turn on you at the last possible moment. While some literary critics tout this as Aristophanes' most unfathomable work, well, I just think they're being silly. Maybe that's my own lack of education speaking, but I think The Birds a pretty obvious, as well as bitingly funny, commentary on humans, or men, or Athenians (all of these concepts probably being more or less the same to Aristophanes)as hopelessly political and power-hungry beings. One thing I love about this, and, I suppose, all of the Greek dramas, is that they are ultimately very malleable and applicable to my (our?) modern experience. (With a certain ammount of difficulty) you can lead a 21st Century North American to social conciousness but they're still gonna want and have the economic buying power to get, cheap Nikes. Cynical? Yes. Scathing? Yes. Real? You betcha. Sure we've got indoor plumbing, but our cultural context is back in the golden age. Lucky we've still got dudes like Aristophanes to give us a clue as to how to slog through it all.

The problem with "The Birds" ("Ornithes") is that for once Aristophanes does not seem to be attacking some specific abuse in Athens. Still, we suspect that even this little fantasy is not simply escapist entertainment. Certainly there are those who see it as a political satire about the imperialistic dreams that resulted in the disastrous invasion of Sicily (which happened the year before his play was produced in 414 B.C.). Then again, this could just be Aristophanes bemoaning the decline of Athens.

Pisthetaerus ("Trusting") and Euelpides ("Hopeful") have grown tired of life in Athens and decide to build a utopia in the sky with the help of the birds, which they will name Necphelococcygia (which translates roughly as "Cloud Cuckoo Land"). Pisthetaerus and his feathered friends have to fight off those unworthy humans, malefactors and public nuisances all, who try and join their utopia. Then there are the gods, who come to make some sort of agreement with the new city because they have created a bottleneck for sacrifices coming from earth.

Because it is a more general satire, "The Birds" tends to work better with younger audiences than most comedies by Aristophanes. Besides, the chorus of birds lends itself to fantastic costumes, which is always a plus with young theater goers. In studying any of the Greek plays that remain it is important to I have always maintained that in studying Greek plays you want to know the dramatic conventions of these plays like the distinction between episodes and stasimons (scenes and songs), the "agon" (a formal debate on the crucial issue of the play), and the "parabasis" (in which the Chorus partially abandons its dramatic role and addresses the audience directly). Understanding these really enhances your enjoyment of the play.

there is nothing like Black Comedians. I mean without Humor in this Country a Brother would truly be hopeless. through the struggle&all the Ism that went down back in the day&that still is happening now. laughter has always been the Best Medicine&it always hits the spot ten fold. this Book is tight. Interviews,etc... a Fantastic Book. very soulful&RIGHT ON!!

This book goes through the history of how black comedy became what we know it as today. Eddie Murphy, Sinbad, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Rock, Damon Wayans...these are all successful black comedians that are common names around US households today. This book tells the stories of those that came before them. This book has wonderful quotes as well as short biographies of various comedians. It's a great read and I highly suggest this book to anyone who finds many of todays African-American comedians funny!

With a number of hit movies under his belt, it's almost easy to forget that Steve Martin first earned fame doing stand-up comedy. In the late 1970's he was selling out large arenas, appearing regularly on Saturday Night Live and the Tonight Show, and spinning platinum comedy albums excerpted from his act. He made it look easy and was wildly successful until he walked away in the early 80's. In this book, he takes a look back at the path that led him toward all that fame. While he begins with childhood, he limits himself to events that were formative to his career. The narration is honest and concise. Whether he talks about failures in himself or others, he adopts a matter-of-fact tone that deftly avoids dips into self-pity or bitterness.

As the book continues, we learn all of his major stepping stones from Disneyland to the Bird Cage theater at Knotts Berry Farm, and so on. Martin traveled a winding road to stand-up success and is brutally honest about how much he had to learn for so long early in his career. Yet, with each step, you can see the progress as he figures out how to create his own unique comedy voice and make it work.

There are many things that could be said in favor of "Born Standing Up." From my perspective the most important are these two. First, I felt like I knew Steve Martin better when I finished reading than when I started. That may seem an obvious result of any biography but it can only be said if the author is genuinely candid. The second thing is that I both like and respect him more as a result. Not because he paints a perfect picture of himself, but because he is honest about his shortcomings and how he dealt with them. It was a true pleasure to spend this time in his company and I hope he writes a sequel someday covering the experiences of his movie career.

I never knew much about Steve Martin's life before besides the standup albums, the SNL, movies, etc... This book tells a lot about his life behind those scenes of comedy and if your a Steve Martin fan, it makes for a humorous yet touching read.

Mr. Lepp can tell a tall tale like no other person. The stories are detailed making all of them nearly truthful. His incorporation of local West "by God" Virginia landmarks and history add to the stories. A must have for anyone who loves tall tales or is from southern West Virginia.

Bill can spin a story and there is no doubt he could sell ice in Alaska. Have heard him at a story telling and this is just a sample of the tales he can tell. Whether he is fishing with the Monster Stick or training a gun-shy dog,(Buck) Bill is pure entertainment. ROFLMAO...

This is one of the most practical books on comedy. Use this wonderful book not only to write sketch humor - use it to write pointed, intelligent stand-up act-outs too.

_Build to Laugh: How to Construct Sketch Comedy with the Fast and Funny Formula_ is no recent release. Still in print and readily available, the book has already encouraged a decade of emerging comedy writers to think about their material in deeper ways. Its long shelf life came from its clarity and its playful explanations. It actually helps writers learn to be funny. My own reasons for reading Kerr's book may be unique, however. I am no comedy writer, nor am I a comic, really. I teach history and philosophy, mostly to students who want to be CEO's, rock stars, millionaires, and Special Forces operatives. Lucky for us all, a course or two in the humanities is still required for the bachelor's degree. So in trying to reach people with little genuine interest in history and philosophy, I have discovered an important tradeoff. While sleeping students may seem more civil and polite, they retain much less of the lecture materials than do conscious students. What I have learned from teaching is that giggling students--even when laughing at the silly teacher's antics--come to more classes and retain more of the serious stuff between the laughable. And what have I learned from Kerr's excellent little book? [Drum roll, please!] I have learned the source of "the funny." Hilarious stuff happens right in front of us every day. It is in the newspapers, at the parking lots, in our personal tragedies, and yes, even in history and philosophy books. And you can learn how to find it and to use it.
So can ANYONE really learn to be funny? Kerr offers no guarantees with her advice gleaned from her own experience as a comic, especially not for history teachers. But her "formula" is rather easy to follow. Most of the "eight steps" empower a reader to "see" the material in new ways, find the joke, understand why it is funny, and to toy with perspective. Much of this advice can be found in any good writing textbook. But who wants to actually read a writing textbook? Kerr's book, about comedy, is a fun read. You will find yourself bracketing moments, thoughts, and situations that burst with levity, and they just need your help to let out the laughter. And here, I can provide a guarantee if Kerr does not. If you will look for funny things you will find them, even in textbooks, ancient archives, and philosophy lectures. Anyone standing in front of groups of people (teachers, politicians, bosses, drill sergeants, pan handlers, preachers) will benefit from a close reading of _Build to Laugh_.

This is THE book to own about the art of American popular song, delivering even more than the title promises--complete descriptions and evaluations of the shows and films, scintillating analyses of the lyrics and musical details of individual songs, intimate biographical information about Kern, Berlin, Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Hammerstein and Sondheim. Incredibly, it's frequently out of print. Buy it anyway, whatever the price. (No, I'm not selling my copy.)

Gerald Mast was a fine writer about movies ("Howard Hawks Storyteller" is another gem and "The Comic Mind" is very good too). Here he writes not only about movie musicals but Broadway musicals. He maintains a high level of quality on both fronts.

Given the two large subjects he has to cover, Mast wisely focuses on the key figures instead of trying to exhaustively cover everything. (I think he gives about 5 pages to early movie musicals, something that Barrios' "A Song in the Dark" devotes its entire length to.) However, this approach pays off tremendously thanks to Mast's wise insights. He shows how the movie musical in its heyday (42nd St. to Gigi)differed from the Broadway musical. (He is very interesting on why Rogers and Hammerstein musical films don't work, except for Sound of Music.)

Also good is that Mast explores the movie musical beyond Gigi. His discussion of "Pennies from Heaven" and "Victor/Victoria" are very perceptive.

With musicals supposedly "coming back," this would be a good book to make one acquainted with their historical tradition.

Possibly the Can Can is the least documented of all Art Forms with at the moment just one book and only available as an import here in England.There is also a total lack of video material the nearest being the film THE MERRY WIDOW BALLET,for which I created a special photo album along with all my others on a communities page.
Can Can is all about pictures and this book has plenty.
Now with the new MOULIN ROUGE film on release this book should stand an even better chance.
But a price of £27 here in England is not going to attract many potential customers

A true labor of love, Price's book combines thorough research with light-hearted, affectionate prose to trace the evolution of the cancan and its impact on female empowerment, shifting sexual roles, and even ladies' underwear. Throw in never-before-seen photos and illustrations, and what you have is incontrovertible proof that the cancan may be the most fun you can have with your clothes on...

This is a fun book of photos by a man with a keen eye. Many of the pics are gut-busting hilarious.

The theme is religion but there is nothing here to offend the religious. I highly recommend Churches Ad Hoc: A Divine Comedy to every one.

Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

New York Times, Internet Edition

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

Even through the confusion of the last 30 years, people have managed to maintain some basic social tenets: don't hit, don't run around naked and don't laugh in church. Laughing at a church is definitely out of the question.

Perhaps that's why Herman Krieger is getting so many laughs. He made a career of making light of churches in a photo essay called "Churches ad hoc", a sort of renegade Rorschach test fit for any Sunday school.

In Krieger's eye, a statue of a Jesus without hands is "Carpal Deum." A boarded-up church is "The Pope's Answer to Luther." And a happy blond toddler on the lawn of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church becomes "Young Zionist."

This sometimes irreverent photo essay on churches draws a variety of responses. It is either too funny to be religious or too religious to be funny. The pictures speak to the perspective of whoever sees them. Christians see devotion. Atheists see satire. Photographers see artistry.

Krieger was most surprised at the response from Christians. He thought they might take offense. "I'm not a Christian," he said, "and I got so many comments from people who thought I knew something about theology."

In more than a year since the site went up, "Churches ad hoc" has drawn more than 50 links from Christian Web sites, and pastors often ask if they can use his pictures for their calendars and newsletters. The photographs were even exhibited in the Art Rageous tent at the 1996 Cornerstone Church Festival in Illinois. After the festival, Christian chat rooms lit up with praise, and many people called the photos the best art exhibit shown.

On his own Web site, Krieger lists people's responses. "Your photography is as playful and cogent as your prose," one fan wrote. "By the way, I pastor a small church in Washington, D.C., and thoroughly enjoyed your poking through the pious facade."

Paradoxically, the response from atheists and freethinkers has been just as enthusiastic.

"Thanks for carrying on the tradition of laughing at religion!" one wrote.

"You manage to capture the essence of the hypocrisy that fuels all religions in a very clever and humorous style," another commented.

Then there are the photographers, who see only photography. "I loved your panoramic photos; I wish I had your skill so that my contemporary photos of Detroit would look even close. Care to pass along any tips?"

When his work holds such broad appeal, you have to wonder why Krieger is giving his pictures away for free. But he's 71, and his days of working for other people are gladly past. He produced the photo essay in pursuit of the bachelor's degree in fine arts he earned after he retired.

Photography has long held a fascination for Krieger. He worked for a photo lab technician during his teens in Detroit in the 1940s and did darkroom work for press photographers. During World War II, the Army put him to work as a photo lab technician.

But then his career took a turn. He went to California in 1950, earned a degree in mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley, then spent 30 years as a computer programmer in Holland. When he retired, he and his wife moved to Eugene, Ore., and he promptly enrolled for classes at the University of Oregon.

He shot the first pictures for "Churches ad hoc" in 1993. In the last four years, he took his camera wherever he went: Oregon, California, New York, Las Vegas, Arizona, Illinois, Washington state.

Krieger started shooting churches on a whim after taking a picture of a cross in a tree for a different essay. His own religious background did not prohibit him from pursuing the concept; he was raised Jewish. In fact, he thinks his upbringing helped.

"I can look at them without getting emotionally involved," he said.

The work continues to prompt comments such as: "clearly your artistry transcends ideological statements and speaks to people of all faiths, or of no faith."

To the diverse, boisterous masses of the Web, he contributed a unifying icon, an image that was a success not because he set out to make a point, but because he didn't.

Most Neil Simon plays are wonderful and I enjoyed reading them. Some of them were no so terriffic.

This lovely volume of eight Neil Simon plays will assume an immediate place of honour on your bookshelf. Well laid out with easy-to-read type, it takes up where volume 1 leaves off. Even those folks not connected with the world of acting can have fun with these scripts. Reading/acting the plays aloud with your family, each person assigned a different role, can be a great activity for quality time -and will hone your comedy timing. Special nuggets include 'Prisoner of second avenue' and 'Chapter Two'. Reading Simon's work reveals greater depth beneath the priceless one-liners that he supplies. That, in fact, is his genius; like Woody Allen and Joseph Heller, Simon first draws you in with laughter only to move you with great humanity. These plays are among his deeper works, as life-experience go into the mix. The stories on these pages are our own, and youll have a ball!